Suspended ceiling construction



J 1955 J. T. BIBB EI'AL SUSPENDED CEILING CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledOct. 24, 1950 June 14, 1955 J. T. BIBB ET AL 2,710,679

SUSPENDED CEILING CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 24, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 SUSPENDED CEILING CONSTRUCTION John T. Bibi), Giendaie, Karl I. Remmen, North Hollywood, and John M. Bibb, La Canada, Calif.

Application October 24, 1950, Seriai No. 191,792

3 Claims. ((1189-36) This invention relates to ceiling construction and particularly to the general type thereof known as suspended ceilings.

In the construction of buildings, and particularly those in which a ceiling surface having sound absorbing or insulating characteristics is desired, the most advanced practice has been to suspend the ceiling from the roof or other construction above the ceiling. The ceiling material is usually in the form of preformed panels of sound and/or heat insulating material and these panels are secured in a supporting framework which, in turn, is attached to the framing construction above by any one of several means.

In general, the systems heretofore employed have drawbacks in that they are complicated in the sense that they require superfluous suspension bars and many different forms of clips or other interconnecting elements for various joints or they lack the optimum of structural rigidity. The complicated forms of such construction require skilled installers and on occasion a job will be held up because of a shortage of one type of the many different clips or accessories required.

With the foregoing considerations in mind, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a simple suspended ceiling construction in which every structural member is employed for the direct support of ceiling material panels or other ceiling supported apparatus with the elimination of any intermediate con struction and in which the various elements interlock to form a complete, structurally rigid, gridwork.

Another object of the invention is to provide a suspended ceiling construction in which all of the Panel supporting elements are identical in manufacture except for length and which are adapted to be interconnected by a single form of clip or splice element.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a suspended ceiling construction which may be erected without any special tools and in which the elements are interlocked with each other and with the connecting clips with vertically disposed, half and half mortise joints eliminating the need for bolts or rivets.

A further object of the invention is to provide a structurally rigid suspended ceiling construction which comprises identical panel supporting elements and identical interconnecting means therefor and which is so constructed and arranged that the resulting assembly and the elements thereof will resist tension, compression, lateral displacement and torsional deformation in any direction in the plane of the ceiling.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a suspended type of ceiling construction in which the ceiling panel supporting elements are adapted for the direct support of lighting fixtures or other apparatus to be mounted in the plane of the ceiling without the interposition of auxiliary attaching or mounting means therefor.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a suspended ceiling construction which is suflicicntly rigid, structurally, to serve additionally as a top support for partitions and which is adapted to permit the attachment and removal of such partitions without change in the ceiling construction.

" atent ice Still another object of the invention is to provide a suspended ceiling construction for the support of ceiling panels which is so constructed and arranged that every ceiling panel serves also as a removable ceiling scuttle to provide access to the space above the ceiling.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a suspended ceiling construction which is so constructed and arranged that any of the structural elements may be removed and replaced without change in or disassembly of the rest of the construction.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a suspended ceiling construction which can be erected in a plurality of patterns and which can be installed at any convenient time prior to the installation of the ceiling panels so that the installation of lighting fixtures or other ceiling equipment may be effected with the greatest facility and the ceiling panels installed as the last step-in ceiling erection.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a suspended ceiling construction Which is of such light weight that it may be installed in locations where a conventional ceiling of latch and plaster or other conventional materials with the necessary support therefor would not be permitted.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a suspended ceiling construction in which all of the elements other than the interconnecting clips may be inverted T bars of uniform size and manufacture and in which the flanges of said bars serve as the supporting ledges for ceiling panels or other ceiling equipment and which flanges also serve to protect and conceal damaged edges or corners'of the panels and to accommodate a Wide tolerance in the size of the ceiling panels.

With the foregoing objects in view, together with such other objects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention resides in the parts, and in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts described, by way of example, in the following specification of one embodiment of the invention; reference being had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of said specification and in which drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top perspective view of the upper side of a portion of a ceiling embodying the present invention; the component parts being shown somewhat out of proportion for clearness of illustration,

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the lower face of a ceiling embodying the invention and additionally showing the mode of installation of a lighting fixture,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, exploded, perspective view (before assembly) of the elements forming a cross joint of the panel supporting elements such as is employed at a point represented by the circle 3 in Pig. 1.

Fig. 4- is an enlarged perspective view of the assembled cross joint,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a joint between a runner and a divider of the type indicated by the circle 5 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a wall connection such as shown in the circle 6 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a modified form of wall connection,

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a portion of a main runner assembly showing the splice of a pair of main runner elements and showing the groups of interlocking slits and slots which are incorporated in all runner and divider elements,

Fig. 9 is a top perspective view of a cross joint formed by the adjacent ends of four cross runner elements or dividers,

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a modified form of clip element, and

Fig. ll is a top perspective view similar to Fig. 4 but showing one use of the clip illustrated in Fig. 10.

In the following specification, the various elements formed from T bars will be referred to as main runners which are those which extend continuously from wall to wall in parallel lines, cross runners which extend in parallel lines from Wall to wall transversely to the main runners but which are interrupted by the main runners, dividers which extend only between adjacent runners or dividers and which do not extend in a continuous line from wall to wall, and wall runners which are attached to the walls for anchorage of the other elements.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 9 of the drawings, all of the structural members which support the ceiling panels P are formed from light weight T rail which is employed in inverted position and comprises a vertical stern 1t) and a horizontal bottom flange portion 11 extending laterally on both sides of the stem. In manufacture the T rail is preferably supplied in long lengths and at uniformly spaced points the stem portion with pairs of slots 12, 12, which are spaced apart a distance greater than the width of the flange 11, and with a series of open ended slits 13 extending downwardly from the upper edge of the stem; one of said slits being disposed midway between each of said pairs of slots. Also, each of the above groups comprising a pair of slots 12, 12 and a slit 13 includes a hole 14 disposed between one of the slots 12 and the slit 13.

In practice, it has been found desirable to space these groups along the T bars at a center distance of approximately 8" plus the thickness of the stem 1 since multiples of that distance permit the most practical accommodation to various standard types of ceiling panels, lighting fixtures, and other equipment that may be associated with the ceiling surface. It is to be understood however, that this spacing may be varied to suit any specific installation and that it is mentioned above as a" practical spacing for general usage. In manufacture, the long lengths of T rail after having been provided with the above described groups of slots 12, 12, slits 13, and holes 14, are cut into shorter lengths to form the main runner, cross runner, wall runner and divider elements. In the formation of main and wall runner elements, the long lengths are sawed into the desired lengths by single cuts at the centers of the selected groups. In the formation of cross runner and divider elements, the long lengths of T rail are cut to the desired lengths by sawing with a pair of saws centered on the selected groups of slots; the saws being so spaced that a section of the T rail is removed and the space left after sawing is equal to the width of the bottom flange 11. Thus, the ends of the cross runner elements and divider elements differ from the ends of the main and wall runner elements in that the slots 12 will be disposed closer to the ends thereof by a distance of approximately half the width of the bottom flange 11. It is to be understood that other sequences of manufac turing may be followed, if desired, and that the foregoing description is only by way of relating one mode of manufacture that has been found satisfactory.

The installation of a ceiling starts with the installation of wall mounting means for the various runner and divider elements laid out to divide the ceiling area into a predetermined pattern of sub-areas. A preferred type of wall mounting comprises wood strips S1, S2, S3, and S4 secured to the walls W1, W2, W3, and W4, respectively; the strips being of a thickness equal to at least the distance between one side of the stem 10 and the adjacent edge of the flange 11 and the bottom faces of the strips being located at the desired plane of the bottom surface of the ceiling panels to be installed and the outer faces of the strips being provided with a series of vertical clearance slots C for the reception of connecting means for the wall engaging ends of the runner and divider elements. The main runners are then installed extending from one wall to the opposite wall; each of the main runners being composed of a plurality of main runner elements 15 spliced together in end to end relation by :1 splice clip 16 comprising a plate of malleable metal having a pair of laterally projecting tongues 17, 17 preferably adapted to enter the slots 12, 12 at the abutting ends of a pair of main runner elements with a light drive fit and effective to secure the elements together in end to end relation by being bent over as best shown in Fig. 8. The tongues 17, 17 are so positioned vertically on the clip that the lower edge of the clip will tightly engage the upper face of the flange 11 so that the elements thus connected by the splice clip are tightly held in alignment.

The main runners are suspended from the roof or other framing above the ceiling by a series of wires or other hanging means H connected to such of the holes 14 in the runners as are in vertical alignment with the desired points of attachment of the upper ends of the hanging means H. The wall strips S1, S2, S3, and S4 each have fixed thereto a series of wall runner elements 20 positioned with the upper face of one side of the flange 11 disposed against the lower face of the strip and with the stem 1% thereof secured to the face of the strip by screws or nails N passing through certain of the holes 14 therein (see Fig. 6); the wall runners being so positioned longitudinally of the strip that certain of the slits 13 are in alignment with the clearance slots C in the strips.

The wall engaging ends of the main runners are connected to the wall runner elements 20 (see Fig. 6) by single ended clips 21 formed by cutting off the end of a splice clip 15 as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5 with the slot 13 thereof fitting over the stem of the wall runncr and the upper portion of the clip being received in the slit 13 to form a vertically disposed, half and half tortise type of interengagement; the respective depths of the slit 13 and slot 18 being such that the bottom faces of the flanges of the wall runners and the main runners connected thereto will be flush.

As soon as a series of main runners have thus been installed, the installation of the cross runners 22 may be started. The wall engaging ends of the cross runners are attached to the wall runners by single ended clips 21 in the same manner as the above described mode of connection of the main runners. The cross runners extend between the wall and the adjacent main runner or between adjacent main runners and usually extend in a line across the room. At the junctures with the main runners the adjacent ends of the cross runners are interconnected by splice clips 16 secured thereto by bending over the tongues 17 in the same manner as described in connection with the splicing of main runner elements. As previously mentioned, the ends of the cross runner elements are closer to the slots 12 in the ends thereof and consequently the ends of the interconnected cross runners are spaced apart a distance equal to the width of the flange 11 of the main runner while the slot 13 in the clip engages the stem of the main runner and the slit 13 in the main runner engages the portion of the clip above the slot I3 resulting in a vertically disposed, half and half. mortise cross joint such as shown in Fig. 4. In this joint the lower edge of the clip engages the upper face of the flanges of the cross runner elements tightly to maintain them in alignment. The tongues 17 engage the slots 12 in the ends of the cross runner elements with a light drive fit to eliminate any play, the slot 18 and slit 13 engage the stem 10 and the body of the clip 16 with a light drive fit to resist torsion and lateral displacement and to transmit compression loads on the cross runners, and the spa of the tongues and slots 12 in the cross runnets uch that the ends of the cross runners will tightly gnome After the main runners and cross runners have been installed to form a primary pattern of sub-areas, the individual sub-areas may be further divided by the installation of divider elements 23 which at each end are provided with single ended clips 21 and engage two of the other elements with a half and half joint such as shown in Fig. 5. This joint has the same characteristics as described in connection with the cross joint shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and these need not be repeated here. Where flush type lighting units are to be installed as shown for example, at L in Fig. 2, a pair of dividers 23, 23 may be placed across a primary rectangular area properly spaced to permit the fixture to be placed on the flanges of the dividers. Where the area is to be further divided, additional dividers may be installed; the above described spacing of the splice clip engaging slits 13 and clip tongue engaging slots 12 permitting the formation of practically any pattern in commercial ceiling materials.

Upon completion of the installation of the runners and dividers and of the lighting fixtures or other apparatus to be associated with the ceiling, the ceiling panels P are installed by inserting them at an angle from below and then seating them on the flanges bordering the areas in which they are inserted. Since these flanges are of substantial width, they will conceal slight defects in (.16 edges of the panels and will accommodate a wide tolerance in the manufacturing dimensions of the panels. in most installations, the prefabricated lengths of the main and cross runners will not exactly match the width and length of the room. In such cases, the wall engaging ends of the runners are cut to length in the field and are provided with a saw cut in the stem as shown at 24 in Fig. 6 into which the tongue 17' of a single ended splice clip 21 may be inserted and bent over as shown in Fig. 6 with the other end of the clip engaging the wall runner in the manner previously described. The hacksaw cut 24 is sufficiently narrow to cause the clip tongue to fit tightly therein and the bending over of the tongue causes the portion within the slot 24 to expand and thereby to grip the end of the runner element suificiently tightly to support it. Thus, for lengths of runner and/ or divider elements which are not multiples of the spacing of the slits 13, a satisfactory adaptation can be quickly made in the field.

if desired, and where necessary, as for instance, where there is insufiicient head-room to install the panels or other ceiling apparatus after the gridwork is installed in the manner above described, the panels and apparatus may be installed as the gridwork of runners is erected.

The installation of the ceiling is simple and when installed, the assembly is structurally rigid and adapted to resist both tension and compression on the axes of the main and cross runners, while the interlocking provided by the splice clips and the runner and divider elements serves to secure the elements against torsional deformation and lateral displacement of one member relative to another.

Normally, in the formation of main runner assemblies, the splice joints therein are positioned adjacent to but not at the cross joints with cross runners to avoid the complication of intersecting splice joints. However, in some cases an interconnection between the ends of four elements is necessary and a mode of forming such a joint with the elements of the present invention is shown in Fig. 9. In such a joint two opposite cross runners 22 are interconnected by a splice clip 16 in the usual manner. The intersecting elements 22', 22' are likewise interconnected by a second splice clip 16' which is inverted. The tongues of the splice clip are located centrally between the side edges of the clip so that the engagement of the edge of the clip and the flanges of the elements 22, 22 is the same as though the clip were used in the conventional manner and the slots 18 and 13' in the two clips extend to the mid width of the clips so that they interlock in the same manner as the clip interlocks with the stem of a runner or divider. The resulting interconnection leaves a square opening 0 in the ceiling formed by the ends of the interlocked members and this opening may be covered by an ornamental medallion or it may be used to allow a suspended lighting fixture and the wiring therefor to extend through the ceiling at a point of intersection of the runners. The lengths of the various elements for any specific installation and the quantities therefor and of clip elements would be predetermined in a layout of the ceiling plan so that the cutting or other changing of members incident to installation would be reduced to a minimum.

The above described construction will produce a ceiling arranged in any desired pattern and in which each area is bordered by the flanges of the panel supporting elements. The exposed portions of the flanges may be provided with any desired color and surface finish to provide the desired ornamental effect in combination with the ceiling panel surfaces.

Under certain conditions a wall connection such as shown in Fig. 7 may be employed. In this construction, a bracket strip B is secured to the wall W; said bracket strip having a horizontal upper face F extending outwardly from and being disposed slightly above the lower edge of the ceiling securing strip S and serving as the support for the ends of the runners or dividers which engage the wall as indicated at 25 in Fig. 7. The wall engaging ends of these elements are provided with vertical saw cuts 2s extending downwardly in the stem 1%) thereof and these saw cuts are engaged by clips 27 formed from the cut off ends of splice clips incident to the formation of single ended clips as above described and illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6; the average installation usually providing more than enough of such cut otf end portions. As shown in Fig. 7, the clip element is bent outwardly at its mid length to enter the saw cut 26 and is moved downwardly therein until the projecting tongue portion 17" of the clip engages the top edge of the stem 10 of the element and the clip is then secured to the wall strip S by nails or screws N securing the element against upward, endwise or sidewise movement. Also, if desired, the bracket strip face F may be rabbeted at spaced points to receive the element flanges and to allow the ceiling panel to rest on the bracket face with creation of the illusion of the ceiling pattern extending beyond the Wall line.

Referring now to Figs. 10 and 11, there is disclosed amodified form of connecting clip 26 of the same general size as the clip element 16 differing, however, in that the tongues 27, 27 thereof are disposed slightly higher above the bottom edge of the clip and are disposed with the fiat faces thereof at acute upwardly converging angles with respect to the stem receiving slot 28. The ends of the runner elements which are to be connected by the clip are provided with slits 29 which are downwardly divergent at the same acute angle as the tongues 28, 28. In assembly, the tongues of the clip are driven into the slits 29 in the ends of a pair of members to be interconnected after which the tongues 28, 28 are bent over downwardly as shown in Fig. 11 and clinched against the sides of the runner stems. It will be obvious that in addition to the cross joint shown in Fig. 11, this form of clip may be employed to splice main runner elements, to connect divider elements, or to form the connecting means between main and cross runners and the wall runners in the same manner as the clip 16.

This form of the invention is especially useful in situations in which prefabricated runners and dividers are not available or in which for any reason the elements must be fabricated on the job. The angular saw cuts may be cut at the proper angle at the correct distances from the ends of the structural elements with the provision of simple fixtures and the only prefabricated part required is a sufiicient supply of the clips 26. The angular position of the tongues on the clips insures that on bending them downwardly, the bottom edge of the clip will engage the top of the flanges of the elements connected insuring that the bottom faces of the flanges will be flush with one another and the resulting gridwork will have the same degree of structural stability as the first described form of the invention.

Due to the fact that the interlocked gridworlt of main runners and cross runners is structurally rigid, the elements thereof may additionally be employed as anchorages to provide lateral stability to the upper edges of partitions. These partitions ray extend transversely to the elements as indicated at X in Fig. 8, or they may extend parallel to a runner directly beneath it. The securing means is a series of nails or screws extending through holes drilled in the flanges engaged by the partition and the partition may be installed at the time the ceiling is erected or at any time thereafter. in the latter case it is only necessary to temporarily remove certain of the ceiling panels to permit the nails or screws to be inserted and driven home.

From the foregoing description, it will be realized that the novel ceiling construction of the present invention possesses many advantages not heretofore realized in practice. The panel supporting members are the frame worl: per se and are formed from a single basic T bar shape which is cut to the desired lengths. The only other element employed is a single form of splice clip which can be modified on the job for various functions. This simplicity of construction is of great importance not only on the job, but also for dealers and suppliers who need not carry a great variety of connecting elements for different types of joints. One form of suspended ceiling construction currentl on the market requires no less than fourteen ditferent connecting clips.

The assembly is simple and does not require a high degree of skill nor does it require more than a few simple tools. When installed it is structurally rigid and resistant to torsion, compression, tension, and lateral displacement forces. The panel supporting flanges may also support lighting fixtures or other equipment such as openings for ventilating equipment and the like. merely rest on the element flanges and can be readily removed to provide access or to replace soiled or damaged panels. When desired, the members in any part of the ceiling may he removed or rearranged without disturbing the rest of the ceiling. The panel supporting elements may also serve as lateral anchorage for the upper ends of partitions and especially for removable partitions. Due to the fact that the panel supporting elements are the main structural elements, the ceiling may be placed in close proximity to a rigid ceiling to be soundproot'ed since only sufficient clearance to effect the interlocking of the elements and to permit the manipula tion of the ceiling panels incident to installing them is required. In practice, this has been found to be about three and one-half inches. Further, due to the light weight of the structure, this novel ceiling may be erected in locations in which the installation of conventional ceilings of lath and plaster or the like would be impossible or prohibitive in cost.

While the foregoing specification has described and illustrated. certain embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact forms so disclosed and that it includes all such modifications in the parts. and in the construction, com bination and arrangement of parts as shall come within the purview of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A suspended ceiling construction, comprising a continuous runner element and non-continuous runner element of essentially similar configuration, each of said runner elements including a horizontal leg and a similar upstanding leg, the upstanding leg of said non-continuous runner element having an opening adjacent an end thereof, said end abutting against the horizontal leg of said continuous runner element, and an elongated sub- The ceiling panels stantially flat clip provided with an open-ended slot intermediate its ends, said slot opening into a longitudinal edge of said clip, said clip straddling the upstanding leg of said continuous runner element with said upstanding leg positioned in said slot, said clip further including a tongue projecting outwardly therefrom, said tongue being positioned in and projecting beyond said opening, the portion of said tongue projecting beyond said opening being clinched over against said element, said clip thereby positioning said non-continuous runner element in fixedly supported relation to said continuous runner element.

2. A suspended ceiling construction, comprising a continuous runner element and non-continuous runner elements of essentially similar configuration, all of said runner elements including horizontal legs and similar upstanding legs, the upstanding legs of said non-continuous runner elements having openings adjacent an end thereof, a pair of non-continuous runner elements being in alignment with each other on opposite sides of said continuous runner elements, said ends of each pair of non-continuous runner elements abutting against the horizontal leg of said continuous runner element on opposite sides thereof, and an elongated substantially flat clip provided with an open-ended slot intermediate its ends, said slot opening into a longitudinal edge of said clip, said clip straddling the upstanding leg of said continuous runner element with said upstanding leg positioned in said slot, said clip further including tongues projecting outwardly therefrom, said tongues being positioned in and projecting beyond said openings, the portion of said tongues projecting beyond said openings being clinched over against said elements, said clip thereby positioning said non-continuous runner elements in fixedly supported relation to said continuous runner element.

3. A suspended ceiling construction, comprising a continuous runner element and a plurality of non-continuous runner elements, all of said runner elements being of essentially similar configuration including horizontal legs and similar upstanding logs, the upstanding leg of said continuous runner element having predeterminedly spaced open-ended slots, the upstanding legs of said non-continuous runner elements having openings adjacent an end thereof, the ends of the several non-continuous runner elements abutting against the horizontal leg of said continuous runner element in substantial alignment with the respective several open-ended slots therein. and a plurality of elongated substantially ilat clips provided with openended slots intermediate their ends, said slots opening into the longitudinal edges of said clips, said clips straddling the upstanding leg said continuous runner element with the lower portion of the upstanding leg of the continuous runner clement di posed in we slot of the respective clip and the upper portion of the clip disposed in the slot of the respective continuous runner element, said clips further including tongues projecting outwardly therefrom, said tongues being positioned in and projecting beyond said openings, the portion of said tongues projecting beyond said openings being clinched over against said elements to thereby position said non-continuous runner elements in fixedly supported relation to said continuous runner element.

References (Jited in the file of this patent Ull ETFD STATES PATENT-S 

